Dumping device



Jan. 18, 1966 c. M. WEATHERBEE 3,229,829

DUMPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1964 DUMPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28. 1964 United States Patent 3,229,829 DUMPING DEVICE Claude M. Weatherbee, 4811 Mercury Drive, Rockville, Md. Filed Feb. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 348,237 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to a power-operated dumping device, especially adapted for vehicular use.

The invention essentially consists in forming a vehicle body with a bin or container having a floor and three walls, one side being left open. Within this bin or semienclosure, is arranged a traylike member termed a dumping drawer, having four walls or a complete side enclosure, but no bottom. This member fits closely within the area defined by the bin and is slidable on tracks therein, and power-driven from a remote control. Hydaulic means including a pair of pistons mounted in cylinders are preferred for this purpose. One of the walls of the dump drawer is constructed to cover and seal off the open side of the bin when the device is in closed position. Seals are provided to render the device waterproof when in closed position. In operation, the dump drawer is moved telescopically externally of the bin to a position extending over the side of the vehicle body, in which position the contents of the bin is carried with the dump drawer and deposited on the ground, having fallen through the empty bottom of the drawer.

Other and further advantages and features of the invention will be described in connection with the drawing,

wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a prior art type of ice rink resurfacing machine, prior to modification thereof by the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the same machine modified by the present invention, the power-operated dumping drawer being in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, the dumping drawer being shown in open position so as to discharge the contents of the vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the other side of the machine taken from the rear thereof;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the hydraulic mechanism used to operate the dumping drawer and other parts of the machine; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention taken on lines 66 of FIG. 2.

By way of illustration, the invention is shown as applied to a commercial device known as an ice rink resurfacing machine, of the general type shown in US. Patent Nos. 2,642,679 and 2,763,939. From this illustration, it will be apparent how to apply the invention to other vehicles and for other uses.

The ice rink resurfacing machine shown in FIG. 1, prior to modification by the invention, comprises a powerdriven truck 10, having a hollow body or snow box 11, and an ice refinishing unit 12 at the rear of the vehicle. In part the unit 12 consists of two oppositely pitched helix scraper blades 13 which are lowered onto the ice surface and drawn across it by the truck. When rotated, blades 13 scrape the ice, and the scrapings of snow, ice and slush are pushed toward the junction of blades 13 where they are picked up by a power-operated paddle conveyor 14 and lifted through a housing 15 to a point above snow box 11, where the scrapings drop into the latter. A hydraulic power take-off connected to the vehicle engine to be described further below, is employed to raise and lower the unit 12, and for other purposes. The unit of the type shown in FIG. 1 has no mechanical means for emptying the snow bin 11, which operation must be performed manually in this example.

3,229,829 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 The remaining views of the drawing show the invention as applied to such a machine. According to the invention, the body 20 of the vehicle is provided with a three-sided receptacle or bin 21 having a floor, a front wall, a rear wall and one side wall, the other side wall being omitted. Bin 21 is formed with waterproof seams or joints, as by welding.

Into bin 21 is fitted a slidable tray or dump drawer 22 having side walls 23-24, a rear wall 25, and a front wall 26. Drawer 22 has no bottom and is mounted with a very close clearance over the floor of bin 21. Rear wall 25 is angularly bent inward to form a scraper 27 (FIGS. 3 and 6) to aid in ejecting the load.

Front wall 26 is made of sufficient size so as to overlap and close the open side of bin 21 when drawer 22 is closed. The closure is rendered waterproof by the provision of seals 28 of rubber or the like mounted on the inner edges of front wall 26 in position to abut against the edges of the opening in bin 21.

Dump drawer 22 is mounted slidably within bin 21 by means of inter-engaging tracks 30-31 mounted respectively on the rear and front walls of bin 21 and on the outer sides af walls 23 and 24 of drawer 22.

The driving means for operating the dump drawer 22 will next be described, with special reference to the diagrammatic FIG. 5. Since hydraulic drive means are preferred, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 32-33 containing pistons 34-35 are horizontally mounted in the truck 20 externally of the front and rear walls of bin 21. Because, in the illustrated machine, both the front and rear portions of the body contain water tanks (not shown) the cylinders 32-33 are contained in pipes such as pipe 36, FIGS. 2 and 3, passing across such tanks.

On the left, or closed, side of the vehicle, the cylinders 32-33 are welded in place as by straps 37, FIG. 4. On the right, or drawer, side of the vehicle, piston rods 34-35 are connected to the front wall 26 of drawer 22 as by brackets 38-39, FIGS. 2-3-6. These hydraulic means are of the common type wherein the pistons are actuable in and out of the cylinders by delivering fluid under pressure into the cylinder at one end or the other. Such actuation will of course open or close the dump drawer 22.

In the example given, the vehcile 20 is provided with a source of hydraulic power which may be tapped for the purpose of operating the dump drawer 22. These means consist of a hydraulic pump 40 belt-driven by vehicle motor 41. Fluid duct or line 42 leads to a three-way spool type control valve 43, and a return line 44 leads back to pump 40, line 44 being passed through a reservoir 45 and filter 46 before connecting with pump 40.

Control valve 43 is provided with a control handle 47. In a first or neutral position, fluid under pressure from pump 40 is merely recirculated via lines 42 and 44 A further fluid line 48 leads from valve 43 to the for ward ends of cylinders 32-33 and a branch line 48a leads to the forward end of a similar hydraulic cylinder 50 employed to raise and lower the ice refinishing unit 12 (not shown in FIG. 5). Still another fluid line 51 connects control valve 43 to a two-way pedal-operated spool type switch valve 52 having a pedal 55. Passing from valve 52, fluid line 53 leads to the rear of cylinders 32-33. Another fluid line 54 leads from switch valve 52 to the rear of cylinder 50.

By this arrangement, with switch valve 52 thrown to connect line 51 with line 54, fluid pressure will be delivered either into line 54 or line 48 depending on the position into which the control valve 47 is shifted. A shift of valve 47 out of neutral in one direction will deliver pressure to line 54 and cause piston 50 to lower the unit 12 into contact with the ice. A shift of the valve 47 in the other direction will deliver fluid pressure into line 48 and 48a to be lifted from the ice.

With switch valve 52 thrown in the other or second position, a shift of control valve 43 in one direction will cause fluid pressure to flowrfrom line 51 into line 53,

thus actuation of pistons" 34-35 takes place, -.these moving to their extended position, causing dump drawer 22 to exit from bin .21 and extend over the side of vehicle 20 and to dump its contents as shown in FIG. 3.

With valve 52 in the same position, but with control valve 43 again shifted, pressure will again be delivered into line 48, causing pistons 34-35 to retract into their cylinders, and causing drawer 22 to retract into the .bin 21 in the closed or FIG. 2 position.

The fact will have been noted from the above description that lines 48' and 48a are interconnected and always receive fluid pressure simultaneously. This condition has no practical effect on the operation above described, since a raising of the unit 12 from off the ice would never need to be accomplished with drawer 22 in open position. With drawer 22 already closed, pressure in line 48 would have no effect on the position of pistons 3435, and by the same token, pressure delivered into line 48 in order to close drawer 22 would have no effect in line 48a or cylinder 50, since unit 12 would have been raised prior to any desired opening or closing of drawer 22.

The normal procedure in operating the vehicle illustrated is to drive it onto the rink to be resurfaced (with drawer 22 closed and unit 12 raised), lower unit 12, operate the vehicle to resurface the rink by driving .it over the surface with unit 12 and conveyor 14 operating until the rinkarea is covered or until a full cargo of scrapings is accumulated in the bin 21. Then unit 12 is raised, the vehicle driven off the rink, the dump drawer 22 is opened ejecting the scrapings, and then closed. The vehicle is then ready to repeat the performance.

The invention happens tohave been illustrated in connection with a vehicle having hydraulic power means for purposes not originally intended to operate dump drawer 22. If the invention were associated with a vehicle where only the dump drawer was to be operated, the arrangement shown in FIG. would be simplified by the elimination of valve 52, cylinder 50 and lines 48a and 54. Line 51 would connect directly with line 53.. Pistons 3435 could then be operated in one direction or the other simply by throwing control valve 47 into one operative position or the other, to Cause dump drawer22 toopen or close.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dumping device, a bodymember having a bin constructed therein, said bin having a side aperture, a dumper member having continuously joined sidewalls substantially occupying the lateral dimensions of said bin exclusive of said aperture, and having a further external sidewall permanently connected to said other continuously joined sidewalls, said further external sidewall extending outside of and thence across the said side aperture of said bin thereby sealing said aperture when said dumper member is in closed position; guide track means interconnecting between said bin and said dumper member in the direction of said aperture allowing said' member to move exteriorly of said bin through said aperture to the extent necessary to dump contents of said bin contained within said dumper, member; power means,

including a source of power carried by said body member,

3. The inventionaccording to claim 1, .wherein thepower means includes a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure carried by said body member and connected by fluid lines to at least one hydraulic cylinder carried'by said body member, a piston in said hydraulic cylinder,

the external end of said piston being connected to said dumper member, and control valve means connected in:

said fluid lines for actuating said piston in either selected direction to shift said dumper drawer relative ,to said bin.

4. The invention according to claim 1, there being waterproof sealing means carried in the joint formed between said external sidewall portion of said'dumpermemher and the edges of said open side aperture of said bin.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 939,758 11/1909 Tillery 214-82 1,927,653 9/1933 Wehr 21483,.22 -XR 2,101,882 12/1937 Vessey 214--82 2,961,105 11/1960 Shubin 214-833 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. HUGO 0. SCHULZ, Examiner, 

1. IN A DUMPING DEVICE, A BODY MEMBER HAVING A BIN CONSTRUCTED THEREIN, SAID BIN HAVING A SIDE APERTURE, A DUMPER MEMBER HAVING CONTINUOUSLY JOINED SIDEWALLS SUBSTANTIALLY OCCUPYING THE LATERAL DIMENSIONS OF SAID BIN EXCLUSIVE OF SAID APERTURE, AND HAVING A FURTHER EXTERNAL SIDEWALL PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER CONTINUOUSLY JOINED SIDEWALLS, SAID FURTHER EXTERNAL SIDEWALL EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF AND THENCE ACROSS THE SAID SIDE APERTURE OF SAID BIN THEREBY SEALING SAID APERTURE WHEN SAID DUMPER MEMBER IS IN CLOSED POSITION; GUIDE TRACK MEANS INTERCONNECTING BETWEEN SAID BIN AND SAID DUMPER MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID APERTURE ALLOWING SAID MEMBER TO MOVE EXTERIORLY OF SAID BIN THROUGH SAID APERTURE TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO DUMP CONTENTS OF SAID BIN CONTAINED WITHIN SAID DUMPER MEMBER; POWER MEANS, INCLUDING A SOURCE OF POWER CARRIED BY SAID BODY MEMBER, AND SHIFTING MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID POWER MEANS AND SAID DUMPER MEMBER ACTUATING SAID DUMPER MEMBER OUT OF AND INTO SAID BIN THROUGH SAID APERTURE FOR DUMPING AND RELOADING PURPOSES RESPECTIVELY. 